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#&$«««,¨¨¨ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ ¨¨¨,«««$&#
##@\«¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨«\@##
###&@$\«,¨ just off the coast to the baltic sea ¨,«\$@&###
##@$$\,¨¨¨ there's a freshwater pond, secluded ¨¨¨,\$$@##
#&@$$$\«,¨ among ashen and juniper. a cleft in the ¨,«\$$$@&#
##@@\\\«,¨ limestone bedrock, sharp-cut from the ¨,«\\\@@##
&&@@\\,¨¨¨ surrounding plains, a ninety degree ¨¨¨,\\@@&&
###&@$\«,¨ drop down, down, to the midnight-black ¨,«\$@&###
####&@$\,¨ water. ¨,\$@&####
#&$««,¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨,««$&#
####@$\«,¨ ««««$$$$$$$$«««« ¨,«\$@####
&$$$\,,¨¨¨ ««$$ $$«« ¨¨¨,,\$$$&
###&@$\«,¨ «««««$$ fairies live here. $$««««« ¨,«\$@&###
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##&$««««,¨ ««««$$$$$$$$«««« ¨,««««$&##
###&@$\«,¨ ¨,«\$@&###
#@\,¨¨¨¨¨¨ they speak to the sloane, caress it, ¨¨¨¨¨¨,\@#
###&@$\«,¨ urge it to grow thicker, tangled, with ¨,«\$@&###
&@$$$«,¨¨¨ longer and sharper thorns. they tell it ¨¨¨,«$$$@&
##@@@$\«,¨ to stay just below the grass, so that ¨,«\$@@@##
##&&@$\«,¨ the animals what come to drink the ¨,«\$@&&##
###&@$\«,¨ water cannot see it before it draws ¨,«\$@&###
###&@$\«,¨ their blood. closer to the pond, the ¨,«\$@&###
###&@$\«,¨ sloane can grow taller, being able to ¨,«\$@&###
#@$«¨¨¨¨¨¨ hide also in the juniper. ¨¨¨¨¨¨«$@#
#&&$$««¨¨¨ ¨¨¨««$$&&#
####@$\«,¨ the fairies will beckon the animals to ¨,«\$@####
#&$$\\«,¨¨ push forward, tell them that they're ¨¨,«\\$$&#
&&$«,¨¨¨¨¨ almost at the water, that they may ¨¨¨¨¨,«$&&
###&@$\«,¨ drink soon. and they will tug on the ¨,«\$@&###
#&&@@$\«,¨ sloane to make sure that the thorns cut ¨,«\$@@&&#
#@$«¨¨¨¨¨¨ deep. when they finally find the path ¨¨¨¨¨¨«$@#
###&@$\«,¨ down between the rocks, away from the ¨,«\$@&###
#&@\,¨¨¨¨¨ bushwork and into the cleft, they are ¨¨¨¨¨,\@&#
&@$««,¨¨¨¨ bleeding from a thousand wounds. as ¨¨¨¨,««$@&
###&@$\«,¨ they drink from the dark water, it is ¨,«\$@&###
##@\\\\«,¨ in turn drinking the animals blood. ¨,«\\\\@##
#&@@$«¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨«$@@&#
###&@$\«,¨ the circle is complete, the contract ¨,«\$@&###
&$«¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ carried out; the animal is abandoned to ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨«$&
###&@$\«,¨ find its own way back. the bushes roots ¨,«\$@&###
###&@$\«,¨ drink the nutrutious water. the fairies ¨,«\$@&###
###&@$\«,¨ dance in the sunbeams. ¨,«\$@&###
&@\\««¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨««\\@&
###&@$\«,¨ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ ¨,«\$@&###
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&&$«¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨«$&&
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